PetSmart Agrees to Pay $4.25 Million Civil Penalty, Compliance Improvements for Failure to Report Defective Glass Fish Bowls and Misrepresentation
November 14, 2016, CPSC.gov
PetSmart Inc. of Phoenix, Arizona has agreed to pay a $4.25 million civil penalty for failing to report to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that two brands of its bowls contained a defect that could create a substantial product hazard or that fish bowls created an unreasonable risk of serious injury. CPSC staff also alleged that PetSmart knowingly misrepresented to CPSC the scope of products that were subject to recall.
Paper Please: California voters approve plastic bag ban
November 10, 2017, Seattlepi.com
California’s ban on single-use plastic carryout bags will stay in effect after voters narrowly approved the policy. Appearing on the ballot as Proposition 67, the proposal was supported by the plastic bag industry hoping there wouldn’t be enough voter support to keep a ban approved by the state legislature two years ago. The measure was approved by 52% of the voters.
Safer Together: CPSC and CBP collaborate to keep unsafe toys off store shelves
November 17, 2016, cpsc.gov
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are launching a holiday season campaign to keep kids safe and stop dangerous and violative toys from reaching kids’ hands. The two federal agencies’ cooperative work to detect and detain shipments of toys and children’s product at the ports from coast to coast has resulted in the stoppage of over 8 million units of about 4,500 different types of toys and children’s products due to safety hazards or failure to meet federal safety standards.
Commissioner’s Viewpoints
Commissioner Buerkle statement on the FY17 Operating Plan
October 21, 2016, cpsc.gov
Commissioner Buerkle takes exception to the agency’s 2017 Operating Plan, in part, because it “contemplates final rules for the highly controversial Voluntary Recall Notices and 6(b) proposals.” She considers the proposed rules “unsalvageable.”
Commissioner Mohorovic speaks at Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsels 13th Corporate Counsels Symposium (video replay)
November 1, 2016, cpsc.gov
Commissioner Mohorovic appears on a panel that discussed the current status and regulatory environment within the federal government in a meeting convened by the Corporate Counsel Symposium.
Recall roller coaster: Food, consumer products and medical devices are up; automotive and pharmaceutical recalls are down in Q3 recall index
November 15, 2016, prnewswire
The Stericycle ExpertSOLUTIONS Q3 Recall Index highlights the influence of today’s rapid pace of innovation on recall activity, with technology-related recalls in medical devices, consumer goods and automotive industries. Technical innovation has also contributed to higher recall volumes in the food industry as improved bacterial detection methods have identified more contaminated products.
Blog: Next generation hoverboard could usher in personal transportation 2.0
November 14, 2016, pcmagazine.com
Following a disastrous launch of hoverboards during last year’s holiday season, a second generation is backed by serious companies in the personal transportation field. This time around, most of the models have new engines and battery packs that are much safer, and take aim at the adult market of urban commuters rather than young users.
Blog: Toxic Turf
November 14, 2016, huffintonpost.com
An investigative reporter traces the history of artificial turf, beginning with the installation at the Houston Astrodome in 1966 of what was originally sold as “ChemGrass” and then “AstroTurf.” With nearly 12,000 sports fields in the U.S. using artificial turf, its composition and its risk has become a focal point of controversy and concern over its safety.
The FTC is trying to figure out whether Volkswagen intentionally destroyed documents related to emissions scandal
November 11, 2016, Reuters
The Federal Trade Commission wants a federal judge to allow the agency to take additional testimony from Volkswagen AG over allegations that the German automaker intentionally destroyed documents last year over its diesel emissions scandal. The FTC said in court documents that it has been investigating since March whether Volkswagen destroyed documents related to its “Dieselgate” scandal.
International conference promotes product safety, local exporters’ compliance
November 16, 2016, Vietnam News
The American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam and the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) held a product safety and compliance conference focused on export market requirements in the Southeast Asia county. Vietnam is now a leading global supplier of apparel and footwear. This year it accounted for 25 per cent of the U.S. imports from ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members and could achieve a one-third share by 2020.
